When you give a girl a pen, do not underestimate her. She will not simply doodle the time away. Expect her to take the pen and write stories across the page and poems in the margins. Expect there to be ink stains on her hands. When you give a girl a pen, watch as her mind wanders to different galaxies, time periods, and new adventures. She may be in the middle of a desert, searching for water or she may be fighting for a special cause in a universe far away. Her heart could be taken by a quiet stranger or she could be dancing on her own in a crowded room. When you give a girl a pen, there are endless possibilities in the stories she creates.
Inspiration always strikes the girl with a pen. An empty field could be the setting for the next big scene in the story she's working on. In the middle of dinner, she may overhear a conversation that sparks dialogue for the endless list of characters in her head. Watch her face when inspiration strikes. Her eyebrows may raise as she attempts to remember the thoughts scrambling through her mind and all the while digging in her bag for a pen. You may find napkins with half-written phrases strewn around her room along with empty coffee cups that should have been thrown away days ago.
When you give a girl a pen, know that she loves differently. While she may not buy you the shiniest things, she will try to make you feel special with her writing. You may find a small poem neatly folded in your pocket, or you may wake up to good morning text with heartfelt words that she thought about over and over again before she sent it. You will find that the girl with a pen may overthink everything she says because she believes that words shouldn't be wasted.
The girl with a pen will have writer's block at one point or another. When this happens, notice the way she gets through it. She may pace back and forth in her room until inspiration strikes, or she may bury herself in a book that she's read a million times before. Tea and coffee may be brewed at 2 AM, she'll stare at the steam that rises from her mug and hope that a new idea dances into her mind. She may be temperamental during this time, but love her through it. Remind her that her voice is always somewhere to be found, even if she can't hear it herself. She will thank you for this later.
When you give a girl a pen, know that you are giving her a ticket to any place in the world. Not only are you giving her a tool to free her spirit, you are giving her an opportunity to live any life that she dreams. Do not take this responsibility lightly. You are encouraging her to put herself into words. When this happens, she will be vulnerable, and she will hope that you will be there even when the pen runs out of ink. If you think you can handle it, give a girl a pen.
